British actor John Cleese is best known for his comedic talÂent as one of the foundÂing memÂbers of MonÂty Python, which makes his intelÂlecÂtuÂal insights on the oriÂgin of creÂativÂiÂty parÂticÂuÂlarÂly fasÂciÂnatÂing. This talk from the 2009 CreÂativÂiÂty World Forum in GerÂmany is part criÂtique of moderÂniÂty’s husÂtle-and-busÂtle, part handÂbook for creÂatÂing the right conÂdiÂtions for creÂativÂiÂty.
“We get our ideas from what I’m going to call for a moment our unconÂscious — the part of our mind that goes on workÂing, for examÂple, when we’re asleep. So what I’m sayÂing is that if you get into the right mood, then your mode of thinkÂing will become much more creÂative. But if you’re racÂing around all day, tickÂing things off a list, lookÂing at your watch, makÂing phone calls and genÂerÂalÂly just keepÂing all the balls in the air, you are not going to have any creÂative ideas.” ~ John Cleese
Cleese advoÂcates creÂatÂing an “oasis” amidst the daiÂly stress where the nerÂvous creaÂture that is your creÂative mind can safeÂly come out and play, with the oasis being guardÂed by boundÂaries of space and boundÂaries of time.
AnothÂer interÂestÂing point Cleese makes is that knowÂing you are good at someÂthing requires preÂciseÂly the same skills you need to be good at it, so peoÂple who are horÂriÂble at someÂthing tend to have no idea they are horÂriÂble at all. This echoes preÂciseÂly what filmÂmakÂer Errol MorÂris disÂcussÂes in “The AnosogÂnosic’s DilemÂma,” arguably one of the most fasÂciÂnatÂing psyÂcholÂoÂgy reads in The New York Times this year.
CuriÂousÂly, Cleese’s forÂmuÂla for creÂativÂiÂty someÂwhat conÂtraÂdicts anothÂer recent theÂoÂry put forth by hisÂtoÂriÂan Steven JohnÂson who, while disÂcussing where good ideas come from, makes a case for the conÂnectÂed mind rather than the fenced off creÂative oasis as the true source of creÂativÂiÂty.
This video perÂmaÂnentÂly resides in Open CulÂture’s colÂlecÂtion of CulÂturÂal Icons.
Maria PopoÂva is the founder and ediÂtor in chief of Brain PickÂings, a curatÂed invenÂtoÂry of eclecÂtic interÂestÂingÂness and indisÂcrimÂiÂnate curiosÂiÂty. She writes for Wired UK, GOOD MagÂaÂzine, BigÂThink and HuffÂinÂgÂton Post, and spends a disÂturbÂing amount of time on TwitÂter.
PerÂhaps…
Good ideas == craft
CreÂativÂiÂty == art
I realÂly don’t think Cleese and JohnÂson are conÂtraÂdicÂtoÂry. I’d imagÂine that Cleese would agree that being at a place like CamÂbridge and hangÂing out with peoÂple like those who would go on to form MonÂty Python is incredÂiÂbly stimÂuÂlatÂing. LikeÂwise, JohnÂson would sureÂly say that havÂing a good idea is not enough — you have to actuÂalÂly put your butt in the chair and work on it. Both are absoluteÂly necÂesÂsary for creÂative and groundÂbreakÂing work — artisÂtic and othÂerÂwise. That’s basiÂcalÂly the idea of a uniÂverÂsiÂty in a nutÂshell — a lot of smart peoÂple in one place with time to just think.
I have been a fan of John Cleese and MonÂty Python for more than 3 decades, and I enjoyed readÂing his preÂscripÂtion on creÂativÂiÂty this mornÂing. I think espeÂcialÂly for theÂater, and othÂer perÂformÂing arts, creÂatÂing that “oasis” that he describes above is vital.
In my own lifeÂtime, I rememÂber when actors and direcÂtors just came to rehearsal and…rehearsed. When there was a break, we would just work on our lines, or try out some stage busiÂness with a scene, or work on some moveÂment or voice work.
Today, all of those things still hapÂpen, of course. But they hapÂpen in a conÂtext of checkÂing emails, sendÂing or readÂing texts, askÂing for interÂnet conÂnecÂtions for their lapÂtops, and so on. TheÂater artists now seem to be conÂstantÂly jugÂgling their conÂnecÂtivÂiÂty. When was the last time you saw a 4‑hour rehearsal withÂout at least one perÂson checkÂing their cellÂphone? Is whatÂevÂer mesÂsage on there (or not on there) truÂly that imporÂtant? Why can´t it wait?
Our group, EnsemÂble Free TheÂater NorÂway of Oslo, is curÂrentÂly in ChicaÂgo doing a 12-week resÂiÂdenÂcy at the GreenÂhouse TheÂater. Many of us canÂnot make local calls, like we do back in NorÂway; and many do not have a phone at all. Most everyÂone in the group welÂcomes this difÂferÂenece, as we feel that we are on a kind of “retreat”, isoÂlatÂed from disÂtracÂtions, even though we are in the cenÂter of a richÂly diverse theÂater comÂmuÂniÂty.
Our oasis, for now, is just not havÂing the cellÂphone.
Like Cleese sugÂgests, that creÂative oasis is a state of mind, and can hapÂpen in the midÂdle of the Windy City just as much as it can in the counÂtry or an island.
BrenÂdan McCall
DirecÂtor, EnsemÂble Free TheÂater NorÂway
http://www.ensemblefreetheaternorway.com
If you re interÂestÂed to learn more about your sub-mind. search 4 Joseph MurÂphy,
ramtha, and even greg braden & louise hay.
I disÂagree with John Cleese and othÂer men I’ve heard going on about the time and space that must be carved out of one’s life in order to be creÂative. I’m a wife and mothÂer and, like many othÂer female artists, I’ve had to be creÂative as time and cirÂcumÂstance allow. I can’t not be interÂruptÂed, that’s just how it is. The masÂcuÂline arroÂgance of turnÂing off the world and letÂting women run interÂferÂence for them while they “think” is probÂaÂbly why MonÂty Python had no female memÂbers.
CreÂativÂiÂty is givÂen free rein in the sub-conÂscious mind, unfetÂtered as it can be from conÂvenÂtions and rules. The disÂtracÂtion of everyÂday purÂsuits can detract from this through the creÂation of clutÂtered fodÂder for the subÂconÂscious. Whilst we do need an oasis of peace, there is no conÂtraÂdicÂtion with the hisÂtoÂriÂan’s view. An inter-conÂnectÂed mind focusÂing around the theÂmatÂic issues can proÂvide rich fodÂder for creÂative insights from the subÂconÂscious.
Dear maria popoÂva,
thank you for this preÂsenÂtaÂtion of John Cleese about findÂing your way to creÂativÂiÂty. Just one preÂciÂsion : the talk was at the FlanÂders DC event for the World creÂativÂiÂty forum in 2008, in Antwerp, FlanÂders, BelÂgium. That is why John Cleese makes an word play about flemÂish (i.e. actuÂalÂly dutch as spoÂken in BelÂgium) and the sugÂgesÂtion to take with you an umbrelÂla when you go to find your oasis in a belÂgian park . GreetÂings and txs one more time for all your efforts and conÂtriÂbuÂtions
Cleese’s descripÂtion of an “oasis” for stimÂuÂlatÂing creÂativÂiÂty is his analyÂsis of his own writÂing process. I am anaÂlytÂiÂcal like him, and I’ve observed I do my best writÂing when I’m not sitÂting at the PC with all its attenÂdant disÂtracÂtions, such as walkÂing to work, or in the showÂer. I see it as “the body is busy, so the mind can be free”.
I used to creÂate a “mesÂsage” daiÂly, for our travÂel comÂpaÂny employÂees to get them to expereÂinec that space for a few moments (yes even just that!) before they startÂed work each day.
The idea was to help them loose any idea of corÂpoÂrate ways and tone of voice and become themÂselves again. It worked — they enjoyed the day more and they did betÂter at their work. These daiÂly mesÂsages I comÂpiled and I pubÂlish them daiÂly on my webÂsite therepliesbook.com
HowÂevÂer John Cleese recÂomÂmenÂdaÂtions are all perÂfect and spot on.
Best wishÂes, CreÂate, Roger!
JohnÂson seems to be addressÂing what i might refer to as “macro-creÂativÂiÂty” while Cleese is addressÂing a more perÂsonÂal expeÂriÂence of creÂativÂiÂty. Seems to me apples and oranges.
LeishaÂlynn, your stateÂment that “MonÂty Python had no female memÂbers” is not corÂrect. Please research CarÂol CleveÂland. This brought her to the attenÂtion of the proÂducÂtion team of MonÂty Python’s FlyÂing CirÂcus. She appeared in 30 of the 45 episodes in the series. SomeÂtimes referred to as the “othÂer Python” or “the sevÂenth Python” or even “The Female Python”, though she thinks this is too much (the Pythons themÂselves perÂformed and wrote their own mateÂrÂiÂal). She played an archeÂtypÂal blonde bombÂshell. Stage direcÂtions for her first sketch described her as “a blonde buxÂom wench in the full bloom of womÂanÂhood”. PriÂvateÂly called “CarÂol CleavÂage” by the othÂer Pythons, she called herÂself the “glamÂour stooge”. CleveÂland starred in all four of the MonÂty Python films, includÂing the dual roles of Zoot and DinÂgo, twin leadÂers of the maidÂens in the CasÂtle Anthrax, in MonÂty Python and the Holy Grail. Her mothÂer, Pat CleveÂland, appeared in MonÂty Python on sevÂerÂal occaÂsions, once as a menÂtal patient with an axe embedÂded in her head.
SomeÂtimes I wonÂder when speakÂers disÂcuss an idea if it works in all enviÂronÂments. John Cleese is an aweÂsome comeÂdiÂan, and talks about a creÂative process based on his learnÂing and expeÂriÂences. I would assume that his creÂativÂiÂty leaned more towards enterÂtainÂment. I enjoyed learnÂing about his process. HowÂevÂer, the last 15 secÂonds of the preÂsenÂtaÂtion he briefly menÂtions the probÂlem of preÂsentÂing these creÂative ideas.
What about the steel workÂer, the accounÂtant, the judge, the govÂernÂment workÂer; are these enviÂronÂments conÂducive to allow creÂative ideas? Will John C’s ideas of creÂativÂiÂty work in their enviÂronÂments? No matÂter what the busiÂness, shouldÂn’t we underÂstand how our busiÂnessÂes are recepÂtive to creÂativÂiÂty? No matÂter what process we use to forÂmuÂlate ideas (great or not so great) we have to underÂstand our enviÂronÂment when it comes to preÂsentÂing our creÂative ideas.
Lets’ comÂpare the enterÂtainÂment busiÂness to a govÂernÂment busiÂness. Let’s start by answerÂing the quesÂtion, “what busiÂness would be more recepÂtive to creÂativÂiÂty; enterÂtainÂment or govÂernÂment”? Since I don’t have actuÂal data I’m going to assume that based on the nature of the enterÂtainÂment busiÂness, the enterÂtainÂment busiÂness is more willÂing to allow creÂativÂiÂty to flourÂish.
So based on this inforÂmaÂtion I would assume that proÂvidÂing creÂative ideas in the enterÂtainÂment busiÂness may be more sucÂcessÂful than the govÂernÂment busiÂness because of the busiÂness culÂture of acceptÂing creÂative ideas. So if you make creÂative misÂtakes in the enterÂtainÂment busiÂness you might not be inclined to be disÂcourÂaged with proÂvidÂing more ideas. On the othÂer hand, the govÂernÂment workÂer may be more disÂcourÂaged based on the recepÂtiveÂness of acceptÂing creÂative ideas.
My Point; It’s not just black and white. In cerÂtain indusÂtries you may have to be more tacÂtiÂcal in preÂsentÂing your creÂative ideas. In some casÂes to get the creÂative ideas placed in pracÂtice you have to strip yourÂself from the idea. You have to make the ownÂer of the idea the perÂson who will approve it to place it in pracÂtice. And in many casÂes the origÂiÂnal ownÂer of the idea is not willÂing to give up ownÂerÂship. That’s why it’s imporÂtant to estabÂlish a recepÂtive enviÂronÂment for gathÂerÂing ideas withÂin an industry/business.